Dispensing apparatus



UNITEl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD IvLNIGHoLsoN, GEORGE IB. NIcHo soN, AND ARTHUR -D. NIoHoLsoN, on PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

DISPENSING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 10, 1920.

Application filed October 21, 1919. Serial N01 332,189.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HOWARD M. Nlonon soN, GEORGE B. NIoHoLsoN, and ARTHUR D.

IoHoLsoN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in-- vented certain new and useful Improvements in Dispensing Apparatus, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus of the character adapted to dispense oils to motor vehicles and the like, though its use is not limited thereto. The primary I object of the invention is to provide an im- 15 but a few simple and inexpensive parts and constructed in such manner that without the proved device of this character comprising use of a pump the oil may be rapidly and accurately dispensed while at the same time.

the use of pressure upon the main supply tank is avoided.

It is a violation of the fire regulations in many cities to maintain air pressure upon the main storage tank of devices for dispensing inflammable oils for the reason that a break in the line or the accidental knocking over of the pedestal of the dispensing receptacle at the curb may result in the floodmg of the neighborhood with an explosive and inflammable liquid. For this reason it? is desirable, in a system of this" nature, to avoid the use of pressure upon the main storage tank.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now rfollows:

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view artly in vertical section and partly in si e elevation of a s stem constructed in accordance with the mvention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a four-way valve hereinafter de- 5 scribed.

.1 parts in both of the figures of the drawing.

Like numerals designate corresponding '.In the drawing 5 designates a preferably .1 transparent dispensing receptacle having a light 6 upon its top, T

the tank .llis dis .plug 25 constituting ard 7. This standard is of such a nature as to adapt it to be located at the curb line so that the oil to be dispensed, such as gasolene for example, may be delivered directly into the tanks of waiting motor vehicles. The main supply ofoil is contained in a large main storage tank 8 that is provided with the usual filler pipe 9 and discharge pipe 10. The discharge pipe 10 is connected to a suction tank 11 and may include a check valve 12 in its length, said check valve 0 ening from the tank 8 to the tank 11. he tank 11 is connected by a pipe 13 with a supply tank 14 and includes a check valve 15 in its length which opens from the tank 11 toward the ta nk' l l. It is to be noted that.

the tank 14 and a so materially above the level of the tank 8. A delivery pipe 16 leads from the tank 14 to a suction tank 17, and the tank '17 is in turn connected by I a pipe 18 with the bottom of the dispensing" receptacle 5. The pipe 18 includes within its length an upwardly opening check valve 19 and a, two-way valve 20. When the twoway valve is in one position it permits gasolene to fiow straight through the pipe 18 into the dispensing receptacle, and when in another position cuts off communication of the pipe 18 with the dispensing receptacle and establishes communication of said dispensing receptacle with a hose 21. A suction pipe 22 leads from the top of the suction tank 17 to-the suction tank 11 and has an upwardly opening check valve 23 dis--.- posed in its length. An air supply line 24 leads from a source of sure (not shown) to a four-way valve 25. A pipe 26 leads from the casmg of this valve to the top of the supply tank 14. The the four-way valve (see Fig. 2) has a vertlcal port 25 which registers with the upper end of the pipe 26 and a horizontal port 25", which may be turned to register with a horizontal port 25 that constitutes -a continuation of'avertical port 25 that registers with the upper end of the pipe 242-. enin the positlon just stated, it is manifest that communication will be estab- "lished between pipes 22 and 26 and that air osed above the level of air under presunder ressure'may then flow to the tank 14. 1th the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, the tank 14 will be vented to the atmosphere through pipe 26, port 25 and a vent port '28 formed in the wall of the valve casing. B turning the valve plug 25 slightly to the le t in Fig. 2, the port 25 may be caused to overlap both the port 28 and a pipe 29 that leads from the valve casing and is connected to the pipe 22 below the check valve 28. When in this latter position it is manifest that tank 11 Will be vented to the atmosphere through pipes 22 and 29 nd ports 25 and 28. By giving the plug 25 a half turn from the position illustrated in Fig. 2 it will be manifest that all of the ports will be closed and all air pressure will be shut oil from the apparatus.

An overflow or drain-back pipe 30 leads from the tank 14 to the receptacle 5 and has asleeve 31 disposed upon its upper end, said sleeve being capable of a partial rotation by means of a handle 32. The sleeve 31 carries a plurality of openings 33 ada ted to register with alined openings Fnot shown) formed in the upper end of the pipe 30. The particular construction of this drainback constitutes no part of the present invention, since it has been illustrated, described and claimed in our co-pending application Serial Number 318,170 filed on the 18th day of August, 1919.

The operation of the device is' as follows;

When the apparatus is installed the tank 14 is immediately filled with gasolene (if gasolene is the liquid to be vended) and thereafter if the four-way valve be manipulated through a door 34,. or otherwise, air under pressure Will be admitted to the tank 14 and the gasolene contained therein will be driven upwardly through pipe 16 filling the suctiontank 17 and flowing thence through pipe 17 into the receptacle 5. When the desired amount of gasolene has been driven into the receptacle 5 the operator will shift the four-way valve 23 to shut ofi" the air pressure from the tank 14 and to vent said tank to the atmosphere through the port 28, thereupon thegasolene remaining in pipe 16 and in suction tank 17 will fall by gravity into the tank 14, creating a vacuum in tank 17 and creating a suction in pipe 22 and tank 11 which will result in drawing gasolene into the tank 11 through the pipe 10. The operator will then shift the fourway valve to vent tank 11 to the atmosphere and thereupon the gasolene in tank 11 will flow by gravity through pipe 13 into the tank 14, in readiness to repeat the foregoing operation.

It will be understood that the operator maintains the pressure upon tank 14 long enough to drive the gasolene into the receptacle 5 until it reaches a level slightly above the amount desired, and that when the tank 14 is vented to the atmosphere the surplus gasolene drains back to the desired opening 33 so that very accurate measurement of the gasolene is secured.

Having described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a device of the character described the combination with an elevated dispensing receptacle, of a storage tank, a suction tank above the level of the storage tank, a connection between thestorage tank and the suction tank, a supply tank below the level of the suction tank, a supply pipe leading from the supply tank to the dispensing receptacle, a second suction tank disposed in the length of said pipe, a' connection between the top of the second suction tank and the first suction tank, a source of air supply and means for conducting air therefrom to the top of the supply tank, the action of air upon liquid in the supply tank forcing said liquid upwardly into the second suction tank and into the dispensing receptacle and the fall of said liquid from the second suction tank creating a vacuum therein and in the first suction tank to draw liquid to be dispensed from the storage tank into the first suction tank, and a connection between the first suction tank and thesupply tank through which the liquid may flow by gravity from the first suction tank to said supply tank.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1 including means for venting the first named suction tank to the atmosphere.

3. In a device of the character described the combination with an elevated dispensing receptacle, of a storage tank, a first suction tank, a discharge pipe leading from the storage tank to the first suction tank, a supply tank, a connection between the first suction tank and the supply tank, a second sue tion tank, a connection between the two sue tion tanks, connections for conducting liqulzi from the supply tank to the dispensing receptacle and to the second suction tank, a source of air under pressure, a manually operable valve for controlling the air pres sure, a connection leading from said valve to the supply tank, said valve being suitably ported to emit air to be supplied to the supply tan and to vent said supply tank to the atmosphere and means for venting the first suction tank to the atmosphere. 4

4. In a device of the character described the combination with an elevated dispensing receptacle, of a storage tank, a first suction tank, a connection leading from the storage tank to the first suction tank, a supply tank below the first suction tank, a connection leading from the suction tank to the supply tank, means for alternately supplying air under pressure to and venting the supply tank, a connection leading from the supply tank to the dispensing rece tacle, means leading from the dispensing receptacle to effected by the rise and fall'o liquid in the the supply tank. 10 said connection for creating a vacuum in the In testimony whereof we aflix our signafirst suction tank and means for venting said tures. first suction tank to permit the liquid therein to flow by gravity into the supply tank. HOWARD M. NICHOLSON.

5. A structure as recited in claim 4 in GEORGE B. NICHOLSON. combination with a drain-back connection ARTHUR D. NICHOLSON. 

